Richard Sorger of the London College of Fashion Short Courses in the Middle East. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
Richard Sorger of the London College of Fashion Short Courses in the Middle East. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Acclaimed fashion college returns to UAE for workshops



The prestigious London College of Fashion has returned to the UAE for the fifth time to hold a series of short courses for those keen to enter the competitive and creative industry.

Richard Sorger, designer and lecturer

Welcome back to Dubai, Richard. What are the key takeaway messages from the Fashion 1 course you are teaching?

What we intend to do is to show students the design process from beginning to end; from the research, through to the initial design and development of ideas to a cohesive collection. I think maybe the most eye-opening part of the course is when we talk about research, which happens right at the beginning. The fact is that most London-based fashion designers aren't necessarily looking at other clothes for inspiration. They are looking to other themes, ideas and visuals that are not clothing references. So I think that's a moment in the course where people think: "Oh I hadn't realised that!" and it opens their eyes to anything being used as the inspiration for designs.

How many people are there on your course and what's the demographic of the group?

This year there are about 17 people and the group is all female. Generally, I would say 80 per cent are from the region and the other 20 per cent are a mix of people from India, Europe and expatriates from the UAE. Some are already working within some capacity in the industry - with their own boutiques and lines.

How creative would you say the UAE's fashion scene is and what's the talent pool like?

It's the same as I see in London and Buenos Aires - good! And I see a very particular approach in Dubai, where the groups tend to be a little more switched on about fashion and brands. They have a heightened sense of what they like in terms of clothing.

What's the biggest misconception about the fashion industry?

That we just sit around designing frocks all day - that it's all very lovely and there's no real hard work involved. In fact, the absolute opposite is true and there's a very well-thought-out foundation to any serious design work with so much preparatory work and it's a very competitive industry.

Linda Roberts, senior business manager, London College of Fashion

Linda, what have been the most popular 2012 LCF courses and why in your opinion?

The ones focused on the design and styling aspects, but the more commercially focused courses are also very popular as people are looking at how to start up their own fashion labels and run and market them effectively on both a local and international platform.

Are there any plans afoot to set up a permanent college here?

At the moment we're just offering a programme of short courses in Dubai. If we find that at a later stage there's demand for foundation, undergraduate and graduate courses, we might then consider that as an option after much research and consultation. But at this stage, there is no plan to set up a campus.

What do you make of the UAE's burgeoning fashion scene?

The fashion industry in the region is a vibrant, thriving sector of the economy. It is great to see not only the big brands giving appropriate importance to this key market and catering to it, but to see the local, home-grown talent emerging from here and really making an impact. Zayan Ghandour, Zeina and Ahmed Abou Chaaban, Hind and Reem Beljafla, and Rami Al Ali and Ellie Saab have become big names on the international fashion scene and there are bound to be more that follow given the proper training and nurturing.

London College of Fashion and Chelsea College of Art and Design courses will run until Thursday at the Pullman Hotel, Dubai. For more information, go to www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/shortcourses/middle-east and www.chelsea.arts.ac.uk/shortcourses/middle-east

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

A State of Passion

Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi

Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah

Rating: 4/5

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
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  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
TOUCH RULES

Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.

Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.

Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.

A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.

After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.

At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.

A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
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    Always check the weather forecast before setting off Make sure you have plenty of water Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon Wear appropriate clothing and footwear Take your litter home with you
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.

A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.

Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.

A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.

On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.

The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.

Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.

The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later. 

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Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Election pledges on migration

CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections" 

SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom" 

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

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